Overview
In many countries around the world, the government pays for all necessary medical expenses. Mercy has become a national priority for these countries. In the United States, however, many people are reluctant to seek medical help because of its high cost. Somehow health care in the U.S. must move beyond asking, "Who can pay– to "Who is my neighbor–
Table of Contents
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 21:9–20; 2 Kings 5:1–15; Proverbs 14:31; Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:1–8, 23:23; Mark 3:1–5; Luke 10:25–37; John 12:4–8; James 2:14–17
LEADER'S GUIDE
• The Issue
Sample questions:
How is health care like a ministry? How is it like a business? How do you feel when the ministry aspect dominates? When the business side dominates?
What can Christians do corporately to encourage the medical establishment to be more merciful?
• The Scriptures
Sample Scriptures:
Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 21:9–20: What does God's mercy toward Hagar and Ishmael tell us about how we are to treat those outside the church?
Who does Jesus define as our neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37? Why do you think he told this parable?
• The Application
Sample application questions:
How would you retell the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37 in language descriptive of our society?
If you were seriously ill, would you prefer to have a Christian minister to you? Why or why not?
• Recommended Resources
ARTICLE FROM CHRISTIANITY TODAY
• When Mercy Becomes a Business, by Everett L. Wilson (February 1990, 10 printed pages)
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